The Nature Conservancy in Washington

Knitting Together the Shrub-Steppe at Moses Coulee
New acquisitions in Moses Coulee and Beezley Hills will protect historic pygmy rabbit habitat and connect and expand existing Nature Conservancy preserves.
Learn more about the exciting land acquisition here.

Protecting the Marbled Murrelet
The tiny marbled murrelet feeds in the sea, but flies up to 50 miles inland to lay its egg. It searches through the forest for a wide, flat branch high in a big tree to lay its single egg. But big trees are hard to find.
Can we help create more habitat for these threatened birds?

Fires to Save the Forest: The Importance of Controlled Burning
On the east slopes of the Cascade Mountains, forest landowners including The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Natural Resources are working together to plan for controlled burning to reduce the risk of catastophic forest fire.
Learn more about the burns here

Growing Better Fuels
Biofuels are getting a lot of attention as the world looks for alternatives to oil, but new research shows they carry a risk of increasing global warming and destroying biodiversity. Dr. Elizabeth Gray, director of science for the Conservancy's Washington program, describes her new study.
Read more in this Q&A with Elizabeth Gray

Protecting the Mazama Pocket Gopher in Washington
What is 8 inches long and can move one ton of soil to the surface in a year? Pocket gophers! These threatened critters play an important ecological role in the South Puget Sound prairies.
Watch a video of these industrious animals here

Marine Invaders in Puget Sound?
Conservancy scientist Jennifer Molnar has tracked marine invasive species all over the world, including those lurking in Washington's waters. Japanese oyster drill, spartina, and other nasties are threatening Puget Sound.
Find out what the Conservancy is doing about it

Washington Leads the Way for Forest Restoration
Dense underbrush in eastern Washington’s dry forests is like tinder — any spark could set off a catastrophic wildfire. New legislation offers hope for restoration efforts by The Nature Conservancy and its partners in the Tieton. Find out more in this Q&A with the Conservancy 's Tieton expert, Betsy Bloomfield.
Get the Scoop from Betsy Bloomfield

Forests and Flooding: What’s the Connection?
When 20 inches of rain falls in 24 hours, are floods inevitable? Or are there natural processes that can help ward off the danger? Find out in this Q&A with Nature Conservancy forest ecologist David Rolph.
Get the Answers from David Rolph

Love in Bloom on the Washington Prairies

Love blooms on the Puget Sound prairies right along with the spring wildflowers. Hear how volunteers Dennis Planck and Michelle Blanchard found romance while pulling Scotch broom.
Meet These Lovestruck Volunteers

Spotlight Archives: 2007 »

Nature picture credits (top to bottom): © TNC; © Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW); © WDFW; © TNC; © Vern Potts/WSDOT; © TNC